by Calvin Sun | Jul 1, 2019 | Afghanistan, Crisis, Epiphanies on the Road, June 2019: Afghanistan, Post-travel Reflections, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
09:30AMAs I’m writing this a few explosions just occurred within our vicinity a few km away (it’s already on the news). Still hearing some gunfire in the distance where the plumes of smoke are. We just went up to the rooftop to take a look: What...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 29, 2019 | Afghanistan, Border Crossing, June 2019: Afghanistan, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
Given the Taliban bombing of the mosque at where we were supposed to have lunch at yesterday, we decided to not go to Balkh and instead visit the Uzbek/Afghan border at Hairatan for our last day in the region. We stopped at an intersection to say hi to a local...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 28, 2019 | Afghanistan, Crisis, June 2019: Afghanistan, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
Well this just happened; and the Taliban just missed us only by 30 minutes: Bomb blast in Afghan mosque wounds 11 worshippers. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A bomb blast inside a mosque wounded at least 11 people Friday in northern Samangan...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 27, 2019 | Afghanistan, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, June 2019: Afghanistan, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
Our itinerary for this trip needs a little bit of background context.On January 2018, the Taliban attacked the The Inter-continental Hotel in Kabul and killed at least 42 people. Among the dead included 5 pilots and 4 crew members of Kam Air, which was soon...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 26, 2019 | Afghanistan, June 2019: Afghanistan, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
After 2 days in Kabul (which for security purposes I’ll post about after our last day there), we set out for Panjshir Valley, which has been regarded by locals as the most beautiful place in Afghanistan by locals. We drove by numerous...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2019 | Afghanistan, Epiphanies on the Road, How's the weather?, June 2019: Afghanistan, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Travel Warnings, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come, What to Pack
(Given the ever-changing security situation here, this post will be updated as circumstances develop so check back often) Travel WarningsA helpful warning as I set off for Kabul today:Do not travel to Afghanistan due to crime, terrorism, civil...
